CBF Issues Statement on Bay Program Pollution Assessment

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker issued this statement following the release of the Chesapeake Bay Program's annual pollution assessment.

"When the Blueprint is implemented, it works to reduce pollution to the Bay and all of its rivers. When it is not implemented, pollution continues.

"There is good news here, but a lot of work remains before we can declare success. Pollution continues to flow from those city streets and farms that do not have controls in place. And while improved, discharges of sewage to public waters continue in some jurisdictions.

"Clean water is a unifier; it brings people together with enormous environmental, human health, and economic benefits. In fact, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's economic report, to be published in the journal Coastal Management next month, documents $22 billion in annual benefits from fully implementing the Blueprint."